Lift bar clamp



y 1952 H. A. GONSER 2,604,352

LIFT BAR CLAMP Filed June 13, 1947 Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT orr cs 1 LIFT BAR CLAMP Harry Allen Gonser, Cleveland, Ohio- 1 Application June" 13, 1947,. Serial No. irs 551 it-Claims. (c1. 291L478):

This invention relates to holding and lifting means;

An' object of 'the'inVenti'o-h is to provide a hold ing and lifting means which-will firm-1y clamp an article to be lifted and securely retain this article while being handled.

' Another object of the invention is' toprovide an improved lifting m'eans'whi'ch may be adjusted easily to adapt it to articles of varying sizes.

Another objectof the'invention is to provide an improved liftin means which may be used to engage either the insid or outside of an article tobel-ifted. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lifting means which, when clamped to an article, will retain it firmly and notbecome loose'n'edby vibration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lifting means which may be simply and economically manufactured.

, Another object of' the inventionis to? provide anim roved lifting means which. will be composed of few and simple parts.

Another object of" the invention is to provide an improved lifting means which will be relatively compact.

ther objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the clamp, parts being shown therein in central longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the parts shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the gripping or article engaging jaw, to an enlarged scale; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus showing its use when applied to the interior of a ring or other hollow article.

The clamp shown in the drawing consists of a supporting beam or bar I to which is centrally secured a hoist-engaging means, shown as a ring 2 rigidly fixed to the bar as by welding.

Adjustably carried by the beam are two slides, each provided with a movable clamping element or jaw.

Each slide consists of a generally rectangular block or carriage 3 having a rectangular perforation 4 which fits slidably over the rectangular bar l.

Upper and lower-"shoes 5 and-jfi respectively; are securedto the slide body 3' as l'i-ywelding ls The upper part of slide block 3 isp'erforated; and the perforation threaded for the reception of'a looking screw or bolt8', the lower-'end of which is turned as indicate'd at .9 to'cylindrical form and the upper end of which is formed into a-knurled knob'or head HI.

The cylindrical endof' the-screw 9 is adapted to fit closely within a'nyone of a serie's ofholes H drilled along the upper edge of the-beam: I ahd sci-to positively locate-the slide imposition: at anyche of these-holes; as: may bedosired'...v

lock washer is; is interposed between the head It! and the upper isurface ofslide toxlock the screw in its innermost positionsseritending into oneoftheihol'es H: v z .1

The. lower end of. slide- 3 is provided .witlrxa threaded perforation .in which is "threaded a clamping. screw'll3.

This screw may be rotate'dzbysa handle M-piv; ote'd. to theiend of the screw upona pin orepivot The other: endtof screw I 3? is formedirrtd semi spherical. shape as: indicated at 116* and an annular groovetll:

slid over:theseinisphericalend-of thescrewfis a clamping jaw? l8; having a sphericab ended irecess fitting'over theiscrew theijaw being'retamed by means of a pin [9 extending chordally across within the recess H and permitting limited rocking movement of the jaw on the end of the screw.

The outer end of the jaw is provided with a sharp circular contacting edge formed between frusto-conical surfaces 20 and 2! and preferably this end of the jaw is hardened so that this edge will cut or bite slightly into the piece B which is being retained.

The semispherical end of the screw, together with the socket in the jaw and the looseness of the pin l9, permit this jaw to rock as indicated in Figure 3, to adapt itself to rough or inclined surfaces and to cause the circular edge to press evenly upon these surfaces, thus cutting slightly into them and producing a very firm grip which will retain the piece much more effectively than could friction alone.

It willbe seen that the distance between shoes 5 and 6 need not .be too close a fit to the upper or lower edges of the beam, but that the positive interlockin of screw bolt 9 into recess ll precludes any sliding of th carriage after it has been locked in position and causes any pressure on its lower end to tilt or rock it, causing it to bind more firmly on the beam edges.

It will also be apparent that the pivoted handles l4 prevent screws l3 from rotating when subjected to vibration, so that there is no danger of unexpected loosening.

In Figure 4, the lifting clamp has been shown as applied on the interior of a large metal ring R and it will be apparent that to arrange it in this manner, it is only necessary to remove the slides from the beam, reverse them, and secure them in the desired position, whereupon the jaws are moved outwardly by screws I3 and will tightly clamp the inside of the recess within the ring, in the same manner as when they are applied to the outside of an article.

The article, of course, can be lifted after the clamp has been applied to it by means of a hoist or other lifting means engaged with the ring 2.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of my invention in some particularity, obviously many other embodiments, variations, and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precise details shown and described herein, but claim as my invention all embodiments, modifications and variations coming within the scope of the appended claims.

. I claim: A l

1. A lifting device comprising a rigid unitary beam, two clamping elements adjustably carried by the beam, locking means positively locking said elements in adjusted position upon the beam, each clamping element having mechanical advantage moving means and including an article engaging jaw, and the jaw of each element having a sharp circular edge.

2. A lifting device comprising a unitary rigid beam, two slides movable along said beam, a positive lock carried by each slide locking the slide selectively in any of a plurality of positions upon the beam, each slide having a threaded element threaded therethrough with its axis in general parallel to the beam, a jaw carried by each threaded element having a sharp circular article engaging edge and angularly movable with respect to the axis of the threaded element.

3. A lifting device comprising a unitary rigid beam, hoist engaging means fixed to an intermediate portion of said beam, a slide movable along the portion of the beam to one side of said hoist engaging means, a slide movable along the portion of said beam to the opposite side of said hoist engaging means, positive locking means carried by each slide and engageable with the beam to lock the slide selectively in any of a plurality of positions thereon, each slide having a threaded aperture with its axis generally parallel to the beam, a threaded element threaded into each of said apertures, a jaw carried by each threaded element and angularly displaceable with respect to the axis thereof, each jaw having a sharp circular article engaging edge which when lying in a plane normal to the axis of the threaded element is concentric with said axis.

4. A lifting device comprising a rigid rectangular unitary beam, a hoisting ring fixed to the middle of said beam, the beam having a plurality of recesses along one edge thereof, a slide movable along the beam to one side of the hoisting ring, a similar slide movable along the beam to the other side of the hoisting ring, each slide including a bolt selectively engageable with the recesses in the beam, each slide having a threaded recess generally parallel to the beam and a screw threaded through said recess, each screw having an article engaging head pivotally supported on one end thereof and formed with a sharp circular edge, and each screw having a handle pivoted thereto at the end opposite said article engaging head.

HARRY ADEN GONSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

